Vickery headed to Chaffee

CHAFFEE - One year out of the spotlight was long enough for Charlie Vickery.

After 26 years as the Sikeston Bulldog head coach, Vickery will be a head coach again, this time going to his hometown of Chaffee.

Vickery graduated from Chaffee High School in 1970. Four years later he was the head coach of his alma mater where he put together a four-year record of 16-22, including an 8-2 season in 1976.

After his four years in Chaffee, Vickery was hired at Sikeston where he compiled a record of 156-104 with nine conference championships and seven playoff appearances from 1978-2003.

Vickery was unavailable for comment, but Chaffee athletic director Terry Glenzy said the community is excited to get him back on the sidelines.

"We interviewed four candidates and I think we made a good choice," said Glenzy. "He was an overwhelming favorite. He and another one had very good interviews. But Charlie had the experience over other people. He just wanted to come back here. He's an alumni and he coached here for four years. He just wants to try to get the program back on its feet again. We think he can do it."

Vickery will have his work cut out for him at Chaffee.

The Red Devil program hasn't had a winning season since 1990. They've won no more than three games in any season since then.

Chaffee is currently in one of its biggest slides in school history with a 24-

game losing streak.

But Vickery will be used to such tasks. When he took the Chaffee job right out of college in 1974, the Red Devils had won three games in four years, including two winless teams.

Vickery will be assisted by Jim Mays, and Glenzy, who will be coaching again for the first time in eight years.

"We've talked and we're not going to be miracle workers," said Vickery. "There's a couple things that he's got to accomplish first, change some attitudes and just try to be competitive. That's just to start with then we'll move on to other things."